Well Done!

For Friday, April 26, 2024:

Colossians 3:23 NLT: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

We all have earthly work to do. Paul is saying that each of us should endeavor to be the best at our tasks.

Some job descriptions are unique. If you’re a dad, be the best father that you can be for your family. No one else fits that job description as father of your family. Same for moms.

If you work for someone else, do your best. Do a good job. Don’t do shoddy work. It matters not if you work in a field or at a bank. The person paying you should get their money’s worth!

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance a reward for your time on earth, and that the Master you are truly serving is Christ.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Live like Jesus!

For Thursday, April 25, 2024:

Philippians 2:5 NLT: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

Paul is attuned to Jesus’ mind and attitude. It all happened on the road to Damascus. I jokingly say that Jesus had to slap Paul “upside the head” to get his attention! The truth is that Paul was struck blind until Jesus said otherwise. That got his attention, flipped the script, and turned Paul’s life around 180º!

Paul opened this letter with a series of questions, hoping the reader would “get it.” He states that believers should be like he is, since it was Jesus who personally made a believer out of Paul. But perhaps that’s still too oblique. So Paul points the Philippians directly to the source: “Let the mind of Jesus live in you!” Or in simple words, “Be like Jesus!”

Paul gives this conclusion first, and then goes on to detail several examples of living one’s life like Jesus. This is a text-book teaching method, still being taught nowadays. “State what you’re going to teach, then teach it, and finally summarize what you just taught.” Same thing, three times, three different ways. You don’t want anyone to miss the point of your message!

We all need to know a certain amount about teaching. Jesus commissioned all believers to make disciples of all nations, so we all need the skills to do a good job. Accept the commission and do your best!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Marriage!

For Wednesday, April 24, 2024:

Colossians 3:18-19 NLT: “18: Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19: Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.”

In my experience, these two verses take the #1 spot for creating angst in the reader. Usually the problem is lifting one verse out of context without considering the other. But just like a marriage requires two people, these two verses describing a Christian marriage are designed to fit together.

Let’s get one thing straight: Submission doesn’t imply slavery. Submission means you are part of a group, part of a team. Both husband and wife have agreed to play on the family team. So if the family is a team, the husband is the “designated leader” of the team, but only because the wife grants him that position. The wife has her place alongside the “leader,” and the children have their place in relation to the leader and the wife.

The wife enjoys being on the team because she is loved by her husband who treats her well, who respects her. The Christian husband puts his wife up on a pedestal, and seeing her there brings him joy! The two love one another “as is fitting in the Lord.”

God invented this partnership, so we know that it works!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Defenders!

For Tuesday, April 23, 2024:

Philippians 1:27-28a NLT: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

Paul teaches that “whatever happens,” we should uphold the value system given to us by Jesus. But the reality is that trouble will probably come, and people in high places will oppose you. Being a champion for Christ won’t be easy.

Remember that Paul was writing this from his prison cell. His crime was preaching the Gospel, and here he is encouraging others to do the same. For them, it may also be a rocky road. (To be forewarned is to be prepared!)

Each believer should be perpetually prepared to be an apologist, a defender of the Gospel. This is about standing up for Jesus, now the main thing in our lives. Any consequences for us are secondary, relatively unimportant to God’s big picture. God will care for those who believe in his Son, either here on earth or in the hereafter. Paul could make a case for living, and a case for dying. Living, he could do more work for the Kingdom. Dying, he’d see Jesus sooner. Paul left that decision in God’s hands.

If we’re believers and still living, we should be clearly recognizable as Christians. We should love our neighbors, show kindness, share our assets, be helpful, and do the next right thing. Observers should be able to assess our behavior, and say with certainty, “Those are Christians!” Christianity’s number will increase through attraction. People will like what they see, and want to experience it themselves. Welcome them with open arms!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Living or Dying?

April 22, 2024 Monday Message:

Philippians 1:23-24 NLT, Paul writing to the Philippian church: “I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”

Paul lived during a time when death was a daily possibility. Disputes were settled with violence, executions were a daily occurrence, and Paul was sending this message from prison – not a positive scenario!

Ironically he was imprisoned for preaching salvation through Jesus the Christ. Romans claimed divinity for their current emperor; they considered preaching for Jesus to be preaching against Caesar, a crime worthy of arrest, imprisonment, and who knows what else!

I believe Paul was intelligent and well-educated, a seeker of truth. As a result of his beliefs, he could live or he could die. Paul considered both.

Most people are apprehensive about dying, but Paul’s faith gave him a deep-rooted belief in a heavenly destination in the next life. So to him, death wasn’t to be feared; it was something that we should anticipate joyfully! After all, believers get to spend eternity alongside Jesus in the presence of God! Suddenly dying looks like an attractive option! It doesn’t get any better than that for Paul personally!

But what’s better for evangelism, spreading the Good News about Jesus, and for the church? Paul writes, “To me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. If I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better.” Wisely, Paul is leaving the choice in God’s hands. But clearly he’s looking forward to spending more time with Jesus!

Q: Do you fear death, or regard it as an opportunity? Paul advises that we trust the Lord to make that decision. God always knows what’s best!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

All in!

For Sunday, April 21, 2024:

Colossians 3:17 ESV: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

The new person, the born-again person, lives life, all of life, for Jesus! If you’re “all in” with the Jesus program, there’s no going back! There’s no changing your mind. Backsliding shouldn’t be an option!

I’ve previously compared a life dedicated to serving Jesus to getting into a swimming pool. The wrong way to do it is to go to the shallow end and put one toe at a time into the water, because you’re still not sure. The right way to do is to approach the deep end, get a running start, jump high in the air, and – ker-splash! If the water’s cold or hot, it doesn’t matter. You’re fully immersed in the Savior, and that’s a good place to be! Furthermore, it’s an “all in” commitment. If the going gets tough, none of us can levitate our bodies up and out of the water. Like I said, there’s no going back!

There is no decision more important than making an “all in” commitment to Jesus!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Defender!

For Saturday, April 20, 2024:

Philippians 1:16 GW: “Those who tell the message about Christ out of love know that God has put me here to defend the Good News.”

Paul was the original apologist to the Gentiles. Apologists are charged with defending or proving the truth of Christian scriptures and doctrines. Historically and knowledge-wise, this was a confusing “in between” time. Let me explain.

Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi was written about 60 years after Jesus’ birth, and about 30 years after his death. If it had been written closer to Jesus’ day, eyewitnesses could have testified as to exactly what had occurred and what was said. The truth would have been well-known. If more time had elapsed, Gospels and what we call the New Testament would have been assembled, becoming the textbook for Christianity. But in these “in between” years, the job of defending the Gospel fell to Paul.

Nowadays, since Paul is no longer with us, the job becomes one for all believers. We should each know enough about Jesus to defend the Gospel and put forth the principles we learned from Christ. Be prepared – you never know when you’ll have to testify for Jesus!

Yesterday a man was questioning me about the Bible. Right up front, he stated, “Nothing you say will apply to me, because I’m an atheist!”

We were kind of in the same position; he doesn’t believe in Jesus, and I don’t believe in atheists! I regard them as future believers who haven’t yet seen the light! You might call them, “Pre-saved!” By the end of our conversation, he agreed to try attending a couple of church services to learn more about our faith in the Messiah. I left him with a couple of specific church suggestions.

Since Jesus wants us to share the Good News with all nations, we need to get comfortable evangelizing and defending the faith. Like the hymn says, we all should be prepared to, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus!”

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Forgive!

For Friday, April 19, 2024:

Colossians 3:13 NLT: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

We all say the Lord’s Prayer from time to time. But rather than just reciting words we have memorized, I would encourage us all to examine those words more closely. Take it apart line by line.

The Lord’s Prayer, from Matthew 6, asks God to: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” So as much as we want God to forgive our sins, we too need to forgive others. Paul is reinforcing God’s command in this letter.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t get mad; I get even!” They think it sounds cool. They think it makes them sound tough. It does neither.

In your mind, flip the script. What if the Lord said to you, “I’m gonna get even!” None of us would stand a chance! God does not judge us vindictively. Thankfully he’s a God of love, mercy and forgiveness. Without God’s grace we wouldn’t stand a chance!

So forgive others as God forgives you. That’s what Jesus did! He even forgave those who put him on a cross!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Circumstances!

For Thursday, April 18, 2024:

Philippians 1:12-13 NLT: “I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.”

Paul was called to be an evangelist. He was to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentile world. Pretty big territory, but Paul accepted the challenge!

If I had known Paul back then, I might have grown weary of hearing his story over and over. This guy Jesus – that’s all Paul ever talked about! Although he had trained to be a Pharisee, Paul lost favor within the Hebrew community when he started preaching Salvation and Good News. Although they rallied against him, Paul never ceased his preaching efforts!

Rome also had a problem with Jesus. The Romans were taught that the current emperor was a deity, a god. Loyalty to Paul and his Savior conflicted with that Roman teaching. Therefore Paul found himself writing to the Philippians from inside a prison cell. Did that stop Paul from evangelizing? Certainly not! He looked at this as another opportunity to tell people about Jesus!

By this time, Paul’s guards had figured out that he was non-violent, and in an odd way they all became friends. So why not tell them about Jesus? Paul accepted his circumstances and freely shared the Gospel with other prisoners and with the prison guards, many of whom believed and were saved! Paul’s willingness to relinquish his freedom in order to stand up for Jesus was quite a convincing testimony!

Paul was on a mission trip, and we all should be on a mission trip. Our assignment straight from Jesus’ lips is to make disciples of all nations, in other words to share the Good News and show others the way to salvation. Don’t ever feel unqualified. If Paul can teach, evangelize and encourage while imprisoned, surely we can overcome any obstacle in our path.

Jesus assigned the work; now get going!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Brothers and Sisters!

For Wednesday, April 17, 2024:

Colossians 3:11 NLT: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Take a moment and think about how much better the world would be if everyone lived according to the teaching of Jesus. I mean everyone, no exceptions!

If all of mankind lived by the words of Jesus, Putin would have never invaded Ukraine. It’s wrong on so many levels. And Hamas would have never attacked Israel. They’re neighbors, probably cousins; they should get along better! And if Israel had never been attacked, they’d have no reason to retaliate against Gaza, where the bad guys live. Making sure Gaza had enough food would be a priority, not a punishment.

How many times can the good guys turn the other cheek when so much of the world is out of step with Jesus’ teaching? Consider our situation from God’s point of view. When the Messiah was coming to earth, God provided a home for him within the Jewish nation. But now that Jesus has come and gone, does any good thinking persist for separating countries and races? Paul, who heard directly from Jesus on the road to Damascus, says ‘no.’

There is no longer slave or free, Jew or Gentile, and no more black or white. The world should be filled with brothers and sisters in Christ. He is our all in all, our best example for how we should live the rest of our lives.

Jesus said that we should even love our enemies!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

It Is Finished!

For Tuesday, April 16, 2024:

Philippians 1:6 NLT: “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Israel is situated along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. If you sailed north and west over 800 miles, crossing the Aegean Sea and then another 25 miles inland, you’d find Philippi, home of the Philippian church. It’s well over 1,000 miles if you’re walking. I find it remarkable that the Good News would spread that far in Paul’s short lifetime! Keep in mind, though, that the population was primed for worship; they were determined to worship something. They prayed to the sun and the moon. They prayed for good weather and bountiful crops. They built elaborate temples to worship these idols. They knew about worship but had not yet identified the true God. Jesus was the answer, and many were now onboard!

God never starts a project and then abandons it, leaving it halfway finished. Some projects like the church in Philippi or like your church are on a perpetual growth trend. Knowledge increases and growth continues until Jesus returns. We as individuals should also be on a growth trend until Jesus returns or until God calls us home. (Churches are managed by people with human faults, so don’t be surprised if the church takes two steps forward, and then one backward! Churches aren’t perfect! But if you wait to find the perfect situation, you’ll never know fellowship!)

Has God finished his work in you? I suspect not! None of us is better than all the others seeking to be good Christians. But don’t worry – God will never give up on you! In fact, he’ll keep feeding you knowledge every day of your life! The day you’re called home will be the closest you’ve ever been to the Lord!

God always finishes what he starts!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Death to Sin!

April 15, 2024 Monday Message:

Colossians 3:5 NLT: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

Paul is counseling the Colossian church to live a more virtuous life than the rest of the world. In Paul’s language, these impure behaviors should be “put to death!” Ideally, sin would never be present in a Christian assembly.

But let me be clear: Eliminating mankind’s earthly nature won’t get you into heaven. You can’t “earn” your way into heaven. Salvation is an undeserved gift (grace) given to us by the work Jesus did on the cross. We receive it because of our faith in who Jesus is, and believing that he can and will do what scripture promises.

So what we need to do is ask Jesus to live in our hearts and then change everything! Jesus will take care of living in you if you ask, forgiveness of those who repent and return, and ultimately salvation. But getting your way of living back on track is your responsibility. Sinful ways that used to be the norm need to be put to death. Stopping the sin but still thinking about it isn’t good enough. We need to completely eliminate it from our thoughts. Sin no longer has a place on our agenda of possible things to do today. It’s out of the question! We should put it to death, bury it and walk away forever.

Paul wrote, “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.” The key is that this is written as “past tense.” Most of us used to do things like these, but now because of Jesus we are born again. Because of Jesus, everything is changed. Because of Jesus, everything is better!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship